Matrix Games Forums

Sometimes I think I am a really good publisher, and sometimes I think I am an idiot.

It just dawned on me that I have been observing the creation of a really fun little book in the OT-WWII Quiz thread.

Am I smart for thinking of that now, or stupid for not thinking of it months ago? YMMV.

Here's my idea:

I will turn the Q&As in the WWII Quiz thread into a book, most likely ~ 100 pp. Simple Q&A format, most likely organized chronologically or by theatre.

I will ask everyone whom I quote directly for permission to quote them in the book. I may ask for citations via PM or email.

I will turn over the author's royalties to Steve H. as the MWIF community's gesture of appreciation for his service above and beyond the call of duty. in all likelihood, these won't be much (I am a micro-publisher, not Random House), but they will be enough to buy him dinner on us every month or two.

In the thread title I asked Steve H.(aka Shannon O'Keets) not to read this thread so he would not suffer from an inconveniently noble impulse to refuse our gift, and Steve, if you are reading this anyway, zip it.

Thoughts? Any glaring red sirens that should tell me to cease and desist?

Many of the quiz questions may have come from other people's WWII trivia/obscure fact books, so I suppose there could be some IP issues there.

ORIGINAL: composer99

Many of the quiz questions may have come from other people's WWII trivia/obscure fact books, so I suppose there could be some IP issues there.

That's an argument for rewriting or paraphrasing, the facts themselves aren't copyrighted, just the expression of them. I will be sure and check with posters to see where they got their questions.

Fred

Outstanding idea.

I think its a great idea.

ORIGINAL: wfzimmerman
I will turn over the author's royalties to Steve H. as the MWIF community's gesture of appreciation for his service above and beyond the call of duty. in all likelihood, these won't be much (I am a micro-publisher, not Random House), but they will be enough to buy him dinner on us every month or two.

Hey, that's a hell of an idea !
If you do that, I'll buy one too !

Great idea! Go for it![:)]

ORIGINAL: Froonp

Hey, that's a hell of an idea !
If you do that, I'll buy one too !

+1

Been done:
 
http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-WWII-Quiz-Book/dp/B001GTX03I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1226514093&sr=1-2

ORIGINAL: mlees

Been done:

http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-WWII-Quiz-Book/dp/B001GTX03I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1226514093&sr=1-2

yes, I saw that -- it's kind of a mixed signal that there' s only one wwii quiz book out there. Usually, if a type of book is popular, you see a lot of lemmings///// publishers heading for the cliff. We'll see!

ORIGINAL: mlees

Been done:

http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-WWII-Quiz-Book/dp/B001GTX03I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1226514093&sr=1-2

Yeah, but that book is almost 25 years old, published by Barnes and Noble in 1984 and reprinted once in 1998, so I wouldn't worry too much about there already being one out there.

I wasn't "worried". For some reason, I got the impression that the OP felt that there weren't any WW2 trivia books out there (even if he didn't actually state that), and I pointed to a book I knew (from having a copy) that there were some out there.

Also, I'm not sure that the age of the book matters that much, in this case. After all, we're talking about events that occured 40 years prior to the books publishing date. The "facts" should not have changed much since then, and while there has been some progress in official records becoming declassified, I am not sure if that would translate to mountains of new trivia to be revealed to average folks. (Professional/Academic historians, amybe. But not armchair historians like me. )

However, I don't want to leave y'all with the impression that I am a negative personality. Even if there were a hundred quiz books out there, the OP is free to work on getting whatever he feels like published. I like trivia, I am facinated with WW2 history, and I wish the OP lot's of luck in his endevours in this regard.

The age thing was mostly a factor in that it might not be readily available nowadays, and thus not a competitor in that regard. A small *new* paperback with lots of cool questions from this board, marketed well (on this and lots of other wwii forums etc) wouldn't lose any sales from an old book like that, I think, as it probably would have if that old book instead just had been published.

As it stands, it doesn't matter if the content is similar. People like shiny new stuff. [:D]

I scored a copy of that book at my Library's annual book sale this summer, and is where I got some of the questions I brought to that thread.

Just a quick note to let everyone know I have not forgotten about this project -- in fact I have about 50 pp done -- I have been swamped with contracted books -- but I will be coming back to this soonish.

ORIGINAL: terje439

ORIGINAL: Froonp

Hey, that's a hell of an idea !
If you do that, I'll buy one too !

+1

ditto very much! I have a world of useless trivia, but, kind of like how hearing a joke will remind you of another that you might have not remembered for years, I usually dont think of it until I read someone elses question. But count me in!

ORIGINAL: mlees

Been done:

http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-WWII-Quiz-Book/dp/B001GTX03I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1226514093&sr=1-2

Do it anyway.

Any original work is fine. Just don't plagarize. As was said before, the facts are facts. Quoting sources is fine. Much of this stuff is in the public arena or easily available to anyone with access to a history library (or any good sized library with a good history section), or access to the internet.

It is a great idea.

Do it.


Mark

I've put this on the schedule for May 2009.

http://www.nimblebooks.com/wordpress/fo ... ble-books/

ORIGINAL: wfzimmerman

I've put this on the schedule for May 2009.

http://www.nimblebooks.com/wordpress/fo ... ble-books/

Updated my schedule to read July 27, 2009.

Great idea, good to see this come from a forum thread, I've often thought there was a ton of great military history in these forum thread.